Review: Germany's K7 have got it on lock-down with this latest 12', a full rework EP of Actress' "Bird Matrix" killer by a pair of dance luminaries. First up is Kid606, a man who has been making 'outsider' music since before the term was ever coined, and one who has been every bit as important to the dance music scene all the more commercial names. Kid606's Club Mix is driving, filled with slithering percussion and led by a gorgeous swarm of aqueous synths and Zelda-like sonics, while the dub version slows things down and muddies the groove up into a heady, meditative bundle of melodies and beats. Simbiosi, on the other hand, goes for the jugular and delivers a heavy, stomping techno retuning of the original - what a blinder! There's also a tune by the mysterious Gnesis, "Pear", which appeared on Actress' own K7 compilation. Ya need!

Review: The master of wacky techno returns. Matthew Dear donned his notorious Audion moniker again for his first album in years under the guise. The Alpha LP featured about a dozen woozy and disorienting dancefloor destroyers and two selections are present here getting the remix treatment by two fellow innovators. The legendary Matthew Herbert remixes "Gut Man Cometh", scaling back the high-octane psychedelia of the original into a driving journey track with interestingly spiced up vocal samples. Aus Music regular FOLD turns "Destroyer" into a tough deep house stomper with emotive pads being supported by some gutsy stomp and shuffle.

Review: Such has been the rise of Marquis Hawkes in recent times that this debut album must mark as one of the most anticipated house sets of 2016. Happily, Social Housing is a superb showcase not only for Hawkes' talents, but also his understanding of house music in its' many myriad forms. The album does include, of course, a sprinkling of jackin' workouts, but these are outnumbered by such thrilling chunks of loved-up positivity as the Tiger & Woods style loop funk of "Fantasy", the Theo Parrish-ish jazz fuzziness of "Summer Memory", and the cheeky, Todd Edwards style cut-up garage of "Something In Yr Head" [sic]. The album's most potent moment, though, is "I'm So Glad", a collaboration with Jocelyn Brown that already ranks among 2016's most potent tunes.

Review: The first Audion album in ten years shows that Matthew Dear's project has lost none of its raw ferocity. This is audible on opening track "Dem", where a droning groove ensnares wooden, clunky percussion and haunted vocals in its whirlpool-like cascade and then on the gated, distorted gnawing rhythms of "Destroyer". On other occasions, Dear sounds more comfortable flirting with classic sounds; "There Was a Button" is perfectly adequate, acid-led trancey techno from the 90s and "Gut Man Commeth" revisits the edgy minimalism of early Hawtin. However, no matter what influences he mines, there is a hyperactively jittery sound aesthetic at play, audible as much on the slow-motion hoover-led grind of "Bob the Builder" as it is on the rickety minimalism of "Napkin".

Review: As a producer, Daniel Avery has rightfully earned a reputation as someone with a distinct stylistic vision. While he regularly flits between styles and tempos, his music retains a dark, horror-influenced edge that's rarely less than beguiling. During club sets, he rarely strays away from a dense techno template, selecting tracks that fit his distinctively foreboding style. It's this side to his musical personality that shines through on DJ Kicks. It begins and ends with two maudlin chunks of otherworldly ambience; in between, you'll find an array of booming, late night techno jams from the likes of Shlomo, Planetary Assault Systems, Slam and Artefakt. Naturally, it's slickly mixed, resulting in a paranoid journey through 21st century body music.

Review: Dam Funk has been foundational in crystallising Stones Throw's undisputed leadership in the nu-school funk and boogie scene, and he's up there with the great J Dilla in our books. Naturally, he's been asked to mix up the latest series of DJ Kicks and, ladies and gentlemen, it's a real masterclass - one of those comps you can safely leave on and let it do its thing on you. The mood is personified by a fine blend of electronics and tougher, funkier rhythms by artists such as Index, Moon B, and Dam himself. There are also a few rare cuts by Chicago house legend Gemini that fit in perfectly, and a whole heap of wavy, Cali-inspired electronic funk. Badass.

Review: Berlin techno legend Marcel Dettmann is up next for !k7, compiling their latest edition of the esteemed DJ Kicks series. The Berghain resident merges new takes on classics; such as Cybersonik's "Technarchy" (Marcel Dettmann Third mix) and his remix of Infiniti's (aka Juan Atkins) "Skyway" alongside Mystic Bill's classic "U Won't C Me". Elsewhere, he dabbles in classic electro territory from Das Kombinat on "Waschmaschine", industrial proto-techno on Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia's "War Chant" (Marcel Dettmann edit) and some new exclusives from MDR HQ in the form of some interesting collaborations. There's some stripped and textured dub techno featuring Levon Vincent on "Can You See" and a jagged industrial experiment with fellow label mate Wincent Kunth on "Possible Step". While the mix is definitely reminiscent of one of his renowned 12 - 4 warm up sets, the vinyl edition (which comes as a bonus with this double vinyl release in gatefold cover) is a fine collection timeless techno and future classics.

Review: 11 years on from DJ Koze's one and only commercial mix, 2004's All People Is My Friends for Kompakt, the Pampa boss lines the 50th DJ Kicks mix, following high profile contributions from Nina Kraviz and Actress. This vinyl edition offers the best of both worlds really, featuring some 17 highlights of Kozalla's selection in their original form spread across two slabs of vinyl whilst !K7 have also thrown in a CD copy of the mix so you can hear how it's all done Koze-style. As you'd expect Koze presents one of the more far-reaching selections in the series, with Madlib-produced Freddie Gibbs nestling up alongside William Shatner, Boards of Canada remixes, Broadcast whilst the likes of Marcel Fengler, Session Victim and Frank & Tony offer some deepness.

Review: Given his longevity - not to mention the high esteem in which he's held as a selector - it's rather surprising that this is only DJ Koze's second mix CD. Having indulged his dancefloor side with 2004's All People Is My Friends on Kompakt, here he digs deep into his post-club crates for a DJ Kicks selection that relies heavily on well-swung electronica and left-of-centre instrumental hip-hop beats. It's a fine mix, all told, shot through with a quietly soulful vibes, his usual eccentricity and some killer selections (Broadcast, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, his own quirky remix of Session Victim). There are a few curious, homemade downtempo mash-ups, too, plus - bizarrely - a surprisingly impressive track from William Shatner. Yes, that William Shatner.

Review: A genre-hopping, mind-bending mix from the king of eclecticism, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), that ushers in a new age of experimentation for the seminal DJ Kicks series. Known primarily for his home made excursions to the far reaches of the musical map, Kieran Hebden is a DJ on a different kind of trip, the gratifying results of which can be seen all over this exemplary DJ Kicks compilation (the 26th in this now legendary series). Inspired by his 8 hour sets at The End and in Ibiza with Timo Maas, Kieran says he has rediscovered the thrill of filling a floor: "Playing for people who just want to dance is an exciting thing for someone who’s into experimental music". As you might expect with Four Tet, however, nothing is ever that straightforward, and his DJ Kicks is a mind blowing experience, taking in just about as many genres as there are tracks: Old skool hip-hop, French prog, conscious soul, electronic experimentation, minimal techno, early two-step, cosmic jazz, African thumb pianos and much more besides share space here, bound together by analogue synth interludes, segues and an exclusive new Four Tet track specially created for this compilation 'Pockets'; this year's only release under the Four Tet moniker.

Review: As a follow-up to Will Saul's exclusive-packed - and generally well received - DJ Kicks set, !K7 has decided to reissue two of the most celebrated tracks, with fresh new remixes. On the A-side you'll find Jabru and Joel Culpepper's "Church" - a decidedly organic, soulful chunk of deep house/UK garage fusion - with accompanying Zed Bias rub. The UKG veteran gives it a bouncy, bassy two-step makeover, wisely retaining Culpepper's brilliant vocals. Flip for Will Saul and Komon's spacey "Two For One", where dreamy flourishes rub shoulders with throbbing electronics and delicate house beats. The remix is provided by Appleblim, who adds a new layer of percussive toughness - in a bruk-meets-two-step style - whilst retaining the warmth of the original.

Review: Up next on DJ Kicks' acclaimed mix series is Numbers doyen and Glaswegian iconJackmaster. In his own words, the 24-track mix sees the charismatic Scot 'delivering an honest journey, unearthing a serious passion for the obscure boundaries of house and techno.' This double LP lifts out eight of the tracks most other DJs will want to get their mitts on, and joins the dots between his hometown of Glasgow with Denis Sulta's festival destroying bass driven epic "MSNJ", then NYC; with Eli Escobar's gutsy EBM-flavoured 'Tension (vinyl mix)". Berlin's status as a dance music mecca is referenced with Dutch transplant Anno Stamm's dark house stomper "A Night Out With Therese" and the legend himself Ricardo Villalobos, with his minimal techno classic from 1996 "Logohitz". DJ Kicks throw in a CD of the mix too!

Review: It's been four years since globetrotting Glaswegian Jackmaster's last mix CD. This time round, he's opted to pay tribute to the sounds of the cities that have most inspired him, namely Glasgow, Detroit and Chicago. In essence, that means a fast-paced, thrill a minute ride through his house and techno influences that builds impressively over 80 action-packed minutes. Highlights come thick and fast, from the woozy synths and loose breakbeats of Denis Sulta's "MSNJ", and Mike Dunn's throbbing jack-track "A Groove", to the bombastic dancefloor funk of Lory D, the hazy hypnotism of Mr G, and the wonky techno hustle of Ricardo Villalobos.

Review: On his third studio full-length "&" Kompakt co-founder Michael Mayer has embraced the concept of collaboration. Each of the album's 12 tracks was co-produced with one of Mayer's many friends from within the electronic music community, including some notable names. It's a formula that guarantees both variety and freshness, as the swathe of highlights proves. Check, for example, the glistening melodies and hazy house throb of Gui Boratto and Voigt & Voight hook-up "State Of The Nation", the stylish electroclash-goes-synth pop hustle of Miss Kittin collaboration "Voyage Interieur", and the rubbery, hypnotic "Blackbird Has Spoken" (made alongside Agoria). Throw in fine contributions from Joe Goddard and Prins Thomas, amongst others, and you have an entertaining concoction.

Review: It would be fair to say that Studio K7 has pulled off something of a coup in getting Kenny Dixon Jr. to agree to compile and mix the latest installment in the long-running DJ Kicks series. It is, somewhat remarkably, the legendary Detroiter's first commercially available mix set. This triple-vinyl edition features a whopping 19 cuts - all in unmixed form - from the 30 track mix. Musically, it's a blazed, jazzy, soulful and groovy as you'd expect, and contains a mixture of downtempo beats, nu-jazz and hazy house cuts from the likes of Flying Lotus, Dopehead, Peter Digital Orchestra, Nightmares On Wax, Soulful Session and Lady Alma.

Review: It would be fair to say that Studio K7 has pulled off something of a coup in getting Kenny Dixon Jr. to agree to compile and mix the latest installment in the long-running DJ Kicks series. It is, somewhat remarkably, the legendary Detroiter's first commercially available mix set. This triple-vinyl edition features a whopping 19 cuts - all in unmixed form - from the 30 track mix. Musically, it's a blazed, jazzy, soulful and groovy as you'd expect, and contains a mixture of downtempo beats, nu-jazz and hazy house cuts from the likes of Flying Lotus, Dopehead, Peter Digital Orchestra, Nightmares On Wax, Soulful Session and Lady Alma.

Review: Like the best instalments in the long-running DJ Kicks series, this mix from Motor City Drum Ensemble man Danilo Plessow gives a far better insight into his musical inspirations than his own productions ever could. While there are, naturally, great deep house moments included (Tevo Howard, Mr Fingers, Latecomer etc), these largely take a back seat to Plessow's other musical passions. So, we get soft-focus electric jazz (Sun Ra), dub wise explorations (Tony Allen, Basic Channel), sweet soul (Peven Everett), dusty afro-funk (Geraldo Pino), urgent leftfield disco (Loose Joints, Walter Gibbons) and even a dash of instrumental jazz-funk (James Mason). That it all makes sense musically, flows brilliantly and is effortlessly entertaining is testament to Plessow's skill as a DJ.

Review: Given his productivity, it's rather a surprise to find that Alan Abrahams is Portable's first album for five years. Coming out on German behemoth !K7, the collection sees the affable South African exploring the potential of woozy, off-kilter electronic soul. Shot through with his usual blissful, synthesized beauty, atmospheric pads and yearning melodies, the set's 11 tracks veer from skittish, deep broken techno "More Than", and string-laden simplicity (the intensely beautiful "As For Me"), to tear-jerking ambience ("The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Drinker"), deep, malcnholic Afro-house ("Seraphin"), and Osunlade style, organic explorations (the wonderful "This Frozen Lake").

Review: Given his productivity, it's rather a surprise to find that Alan Abrahams is Portable's first album for five years. Coming out on German behemoth !K7, the collection sees the affable South African exploring the potential of woozy, off-kilter electronic soul. Shot through with his usual blissful, synthesized beauty, atmospheric pads and yearning melodies, the set's 11 tracks veer from skittish, deep broken techno "More Than", and string-laden simplicity (the intensely beautiful "As For Me"), to tear-jerking ambience ("The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Drinker"), deep, malcnholic Afro-house ("Seraphin"), and Osunlade style, organic explorations (the wonderful "This Frozen Lake").

Review: Given his multiple production aliases, love of collaboration and two acclaimed labels - the effervescent Aus and Simple Music - its surprising Will Saul has time to think, let alone lay down a DJ Kicks mix. That the resultant mix is a woozy, atmospheric, multi-textured voyage through many shades of deep house, techno and bass-flecked electronic music is less surprising. Tightly packed with exclusives - see Bicep's rave-flavoured "Nova", for starters - and with cuts from pals October, George Fitzgerald, Cottam and Axel Boman, amongst others, there's plenty for fans of Saul's ever-evolving sound to cheer. This vinyl edition packs 12 of the 24 cuts from the mix across two slabs of vinyl and you get also get a CD of the mix with Saul building a distinctly warm and wide-eyed vibe over 80 mesmerizing minutes.

Review: Over the years, there have been numerous approaches taken towards the DJ Kicks series, from spooky nerd-outs and downtempo voyages to funk-laden journeys and inspired, willy-waving eclecticism. On this latest instalment, Hotflush boss Scuba has decided to go for an all-out dancefloor assault, and this unmixed vinyl version features seven of the mix's finest tracks spread luxuriantly across two slabs of wax, with Scuba's own DJ-Kicks exclusive "M.A.R.S" accompanied by efforts from Boddika, Jon Convex, Addison Groove, DBridge, Beaumont and Sigha. It also comes with a free copy of the mix on CD, so there's no excuse not to indulge!

Review: Those who checked John Talabot's excellent debut album, Fin, will know that his approach to house music is a little left-of-centre. Clearly inspired by the genre's quirkier fringes, he appears to enjoy creating tracks that veer from woozy and intoxicating, to tropical and pagan. Here, he makes his approach even clearer with a triumphant 27-track mix-up for the long-running DJ Kicks series. Variously deep, melancholic, unusual, inspired and atmospheric, the mix contains impressive contributions from the likes of Young Marco, Pional, Andy Stott, Jus' Ed, Joe Clausell and Talabot himself, as well as a rare outing for the rare (and rather fabulous) "Innermind" by Paradise's Deep Groove

Review: In January 2015, Seth Troxler and Tom Trago decided to mark the passing of legendary Amsterdam venue Trouw by getting together in the studio. The resultant track - a woozy, undulating, 10-minute deep house epic - was first showcased on Troxler's DJ Kicks mix last autumn. Here, it gets a deserved single release, with accompanying remixes from Prins Thomas and Voyage Direct artist Maxi Mill. The Norwegian producer does a terrific job reinventing the track as a long-slung Balearic disco gem, full of glistening guitars, chiming melodies, percussive breakdowns and heavy, punk-funk bass. In contrast, Maxi Mill emphasizes the spacey elements of the original track, laying down a rolling, Detroit-influenced deep house shuffler.

Review: There's going to be plenty of heat surrounding this mix-up from hot US DJ crews Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap, and it's easy to see why. As commercially released DJ mixes go, it's exceptional. Packed with fresh material and refreshingly eclectic, it sprints between tracksboth upbeat and downtempo at a breathless pace. From sparse nocturnal house and Arp-heavy noughties boogie to dubbed-out grooves, space-age electro and sweeping cinematic instrumentals, this installment of "DJ Kicks" has it all. Hell, there's even a spot of pedal steel skank from Slow Hands. With a cultured, considered feel and all manner of unreleased audio delights from the Wolf + Lamb family, it's an outstanding hour of entertainment.

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